Siddikulla harps on united Opposition to fight CPI(M)

Kolkata, Jan 3 (UNI) Jamiat-E-Ulama chief Siddikulla Chowdhury today said no single party could dislodge the Left Front in West Bengal until the Opposition, including the Trinamool Congress, united themselves to throw a ''one-to-one'' challenge.

Addressing newsmen here, Chowdhury, one of the founders of the nine-party conglomerate ''Pashchimbanga Ganatanktrik Front'', said he was not against Ms Mamata Banerjee's 16-party PSDF, but apprehended that the dividing Opposition forces would only benefit the ruling regime.

Citing example of yesterday's result in the byelection to Balagarh Assembly seat in Hooghly district, he said the CPI(M) retained the constituency, garnering just 45 per cent vote.

The trend showed that the majority 55 per cent votes went against the Front, but still the Opposition could not encash on it due to the divided Opposition, Siddikulla observed.

'' The ruling Front could remain in power even with 30 per cent vote if the Opposition remains divided, '' the Jamiat-E-Ulama leader, who also spearheded the anti-chemical hub movement in Nandigram, said.

Both Siddikulla and CPI(ML) leader Santosh Rana, also present in the news conference, jointly urged Ms Banerjee to shun criticising the Opposition leaders and chalk out a mechanism so that the Opposition could field a single candidate against the ruling Front nominee in each and every constituency.

'' Ms Banerjee must understand the reality as one single Opposition party can defeat the CPI(M), '' Siddikulla said.

He also threatened to launch a fresh movement if the Government encroached upon the farmers' land for the proposed expansion and widening of roads between Barasat and Raichak.

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